Details
Specifically, a 99-yard pass play starts with the line of scrimmage at the offensive team's one-yard line, the quarterback receives the ball and passes it from his own end zone, completes a forward pass, which is then carried for a touchdown at the other end of the field. Since in American professional football a forward pass is measured by the number of yards gained in the play, a 99-yard pass play can also be referred to as a 99-yard pass, even though the actual pass was much shorter than 99 yards. In addition to 99-yard pass plays, there has been one NFL 99-yard running play, by Tony Dorsett.
This play is a high-risk play, since the pass is coming from the offensive team's end zone. If the ball is intercepted, it is highly likely that the opposing team will score a touchdown; a sack can result in a safety or even a touchdown for the defense.
Since returners do not start from the line of scrimmage, return plays can be (and have been) longer than 99 yards (the longest kick return is 108 yards; the longest play in NFL history was a return of a missed field goal for 109 yards).
Read more about this topic: 99-yard Pass Play
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